Positive capture locking and unlocking device for firearms

ABSTRACT

A firearm with an improved locking and unlocking mechanism for a charging handle, and other appropriate moving components of a firearm, is disclosed. In general, the firearm includes a firearm body, a charging handle, a relief formed in either the firearm body or the charging handle, and a plunger coupled to the other of the firearm body or the charging handle. The charging handle is movably coupled to the firearm body between a locked position and an unlocked position. The plunger includes a ball and a spring. In use, the ball is biased by the spring such that it is received in the relief in the locked position and is disposed outside the relief in the unlocked position

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 63/071,889, filed Aug. 28, 2020, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to firearm charging handles and, more particularly, to a positive capture rolling ball device for a firearm charging handle.

Firearm charging handles (also referred to in the art as cocking handles and bolt handles) traditionally utilize exterior latches that are complicated and result in bulky locking mechanisms with a large profile. These locking mechanisms are typically external to the part and to the firearm. These parts are large, often metal, produce wear as the latches slide or move against the locking portions, and require manual manipulation or active unlocking before movement can occur.

In general, locking mechanisms to prevent movement utilize external locking latches that increase the profile of the parts, create wear and tear, and are prone to breakage. The operator must disengage any locking mechanism prior to applying force to the handle to charge the weapon. This is an inefficient and unnatural movement for the operator. In addition to requiring active operator unlocking, traditional locking mechanisms create friction, resulting in less efficient operation, slower movement, and overall bulky weight and profiles.

As can be seen, there is a need for a novel locking mechanism for a charging handle that includes a biased friction reducing ball able to rotate in a 360-degree fashion (i.e., able to rotate freely) as the charging handle is manipulated and moved, as detailed below in the present application. The free rotation of the ball reduces friction, and therefore offers a more efficient means to freeing the charging handle from the locked or stationary position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a firearm comprising: a stationary firearm component; a translatable firearm component movably coupled to the stationary firearm component between a locked position and an unlocked position; a relief formed in one of the stationary firearm component and the translatable firearm component; and a plunger comprising a ball and a spring, the plunger being coupled to the other of the stationary firearm component and the translatable firearm component, the ball being biased by the spring and configured to be received in the relief in the locked position and to be disposed outside the relief in the unlocked position. In certain embodiments, the stationary firearm component is a firearm body, and the translatable firearm component is a charging handle. In certain embodiments, the relief is formed in the firearm body, and the plunger is coupled to the charging handle.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following figures are included to illustrate certain aspects of the present disclosure, and should not be viewed as exclusive embodiments. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modifications, alterations, combinations, and equivalents in form and function, without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, shown in use in an exemplary firearm;

FIG. 2 is a section view of the embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 1-1 from FIG. 1, and illustrating a charging handle moving inside of the firearm;

FIG. 3 is another section view of the embodiment of the present invention, similar to FIG. 2, and illustrating the charging handle moving inside of the firearm with a ball compressing a spring;

FIG. 4 is another section view of the embodiment of the present invention, similar to FIG. 2, and illustrating the charging handle locking inside of the firearm with the ball being captured by a relief;

FIG. 5 is another section view of the embodiment of the present invention, similar to FIG. 2, and illustrating the charging handle moving out of the firearm before compressing the ball and spring;

FIG. 6 is another section view of the embodiment of the present invention, similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the charging handle moving out of the firearm with the ball compressing the spring 14; and

FIG. 7 is another section view of the embodiment of the present invention, similar to FIG. 2 _(;) and illustrating the charging handle moving out of the firearm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject disclosure is described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure such that one skilled in the art will be enabled to make and use the present invention. It may be evident, however, that the present disclosure may be practiced without some of these specific details.

Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention is a firearm that includes a stationary component, a translatable component, and a relief and plunger locking mechanism integrated with the stationary and translatable components. Embodiments of the present invention advantageously incorporate positive capture that occurs on an interior surface of the firearm body by use of a spring and rolling ball that provides many advantages over the prior art. For example, this device and method significantly reduces or even eliminates wear on the charging handle and firearm, allows unrestricted movement, and does not require any complex, bulky externally moving parts. All parts are self-contained and are configured to glide smoothly over any interior surfaces. Further, no manual unlocking of the handle to allow movement needs to occur prior to applying force to the charging handle, reducing complexity of operation. More specifically, friction, wear, tear, and breakage are reduced by the biased rolling ball system of the present invention. Besides these aforementioned benefits, the all-enclosed internal locking mechanism also reduces the size and profile of the overall firearm.

No other parts in this field utilize an internal, freely rotating ball-and-spring positive capture method to hold the charging handle stationary when movement is not required. When movement is required, force is applied to the charging handle, and the ball and spring compress, allowing free movement of the charging handle. Contact between the ball and any surface results in free rotation of the ball, minimizing frictional forces and allowing smooth movement of the charging handle. The pressure applied by the spring on the ball to the surface creates enough force to prevent movement when captured but can be overcome with the needed force to move the parts as intended. The operator can initiate movement of the handle without direct manual disengagement of any locking mechanisms. All locking components are self-contained within the handle, and no manual movement is needed to be performed by the operator.

All other conventional solutions utilize a mechanical lever, external to the firearm body, which must be cleared completely by the operator before any movement of the charging handle can occur. Failure to completely move the locking piece, prior to applying force, may cause damage to the firearm or parts or may otherwise prevent unlocking of the moving charging handle. Apparatuses, devices, and/or methods in accordance with the present invention do not cause damage or require any mechanical unlocking to occur by the operator prior to movement occurring.

Referring to FIG. 1, a firearm body 20 is shown in phantom lines. The body 20 include a ball capture relief 18 (also referred to as a negative relief), for reasons discussed in greater detail below. The relief 18 may be formed in various ways, such as, but not limited to, via cutting, drilling, milling, machining, printing, or creation inside a channel that the charging handle 10 utilizes when charging the firearm. The firearm body includes a charging (or moving) handle 10 slidably mounted thereto with an inner end of the charging handle 10 being connected to the bolt of the firearm. As shown in FIGS. 2-7, the charging handle 10 is slidable into and out of a channel formed in the firearm body 20.

A ball and spring plunger 12, 14, forming a self-contained unit, is moveably coupled to an upper portion of the charging handle and includes a ball 12 and spring 14. As shown, the ball 12 and spring 14 may be retained with a plunger cylinder/housing 16, with the housing 16 having an upper lip that prevents the ball 12 from escaping the housing 16. It will be appreciated by those with skill in the art that the spring 14 may take any appropriate form as a biasing element such that the ball 12 is biased away from the charging handle 10. It will be further appreciated that the spring 14 is not physically coupled to the ball 12 but, rather, only presses on the ball 12. Accordingly, the ball 12 may rotate freely within the housing 16, as described herein. The plunger 12, 14 may be installed, embedded, threaded, glued, pressed, encapsulated, or otherwise attached to the charging handle 10.

The assembled combination of the charging handle 10 and the plunger 12, 14 is inserted into the firearm body 20, in use. When inserted into the firearm body 20, the ball 12 and spring 14 are depressed along a bottom surface of an upper portion of the firearm body until it reaches the relief 18 in the firearm 20, as denoted by the sequence shown in FIGS. 2-4. Until that point, any contact between the ball 12 and walls of the channel does not restrict movement of the charging handle 10, as the ball 12 is freely moveable. At this point, the ball 12 is forced into the relief 18 (via the spring force of the spring 14), creating a stable, positive capture, locking action between the ball 12 and the firearm body 10, and locking the charging handle 10 in position.

When an operator needs to move the charging handle 10, a pulling force is applied, which overcomes the spring force holding the ball 12 in place (i.e., overcoming the locking action), resulting in the ball 12 moving downwardly to exit the relief 18 and compress the spring 14, allowing the charging handle 10 to move freely outwardly. This sequence is generally illustrated in FIGS. 5-7. The spring 14, ball 12, and relief 18 are configured such that a specific threshold of force must be applied in backwards direction on the charging handle 10 by the operator to urge the ball 12 out of the relief 18. Below that threshold, the charging handle 10 will be unable to move (i.e., effectively locked into position).

As those with skill in the art will appreciate, alternatively, the plunger 12, 14 may be embedded into the firearm body 20, with the relief 18 being formed in the charging handle 10. Operation of the charging handle 10 is substantially the same as described above. In this scenario, when the charging handle 10 is inserted into the firearm body 10, the charging handle 10 is permitted to slide along a track (with the plunger 12, 14 being compressed) until the relief 18 aligns with the plunger 12, 14. At this point, the spring 14 biases the ball 12 into the relief 18, creating a positive capture and locking the charging handle 10 to the firearm body 20. Similarly, this locking function can be overcome by pulling on the charging handle 10 with sufficient force to begin sliding the charging handle over the plunger 12, 14. This forces the ball 12 away from the charging handle 10 and the spring 14 to compress, thus decoupling the plunger 12, 14 from the charging handle 10 and permitting axial movement thereof.

As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention utilize a ball spring plunger 12, 14 to be installed opposite of a relief cut 18 (when the charging handle 10 is fully inserted into the firearm body 20). Preferred configurations of the present invention are embodied such that the ball spring plunger 12, 14 are installed in the firearm charging handle 20, and the relief 18 is machined into the firearm body 20. These two components are set to mate with each other at the desired position so as to prevent movement of the charging handle 20 when not desired. Alternatively, and as also discussed above, the ball spring plunger 12, 14 could be installed in the firearm body 20, with the relief 18 made in the charging handle 20. The size of the relief 18 should be relatively equal, though slightly larger, than the diameter of the ball 12 in the plunger 12, 14, which allows for tight fitment, capture, and locking.

In summary, embodiments of the present invention should all include a stationary body, such as a firearm body 20, a moving component that needs to stop or lock at a desired point, such as a charging handle 10, a ball/spring plunger 12, 14, and a relief 18 for the ball 12 to be captured. The location of the ball spring plunger 12, 14 and the relief 18 can be interchanged among various body configurations. However, the location of the relief 18 relative to the ball 12 will remain the same. Further, and as discussed above, the ball spring plunger 12, 14 can be on the moving component or the stationary component, so long as the opposite component has the required relief cut.

In use, a ball spring plunger 12, 14 is provided to retain, capture, or lock a moving firearm component (e.g., a charging handle 10), which may occur by installing the ball spring plunger 12, 14 opposite of a relief 18. Once the ball spring plunger is set in a component (such as the charging handle 10), that component may slide freely inside of another stationary body (e.g., a firearm body 20) while the spring 14 is compressed. Once the ball spring plunger 12, 14 slides to an area in the stationary body (such as inside a channel of the firearm body 20) the spring 14 can decompress, forcing the ball 12 into the negative space relief 18. The previously moving component is now locked in place. As discussed in the background, one problem with traditional locking mechanisms in firearm charging handles is that a mechanical lock, usually external to the firearm, must be directly manually unlocked by the force of finger manipulation or angular movement, prior to movement of the charging handle occurring. This new apparatus and method allow for direct, unimpeded unlocking and movement of the charging handle 10 without direct manual unlocking occurring first. Additionally, all locking mechanisms are internal, as opposed to the traditional external mechanical locking portions.

While the present invention has been described in the context of locking/unlocking a charging handle 10, those with skill in the art will appreciate that there are other potential uses on the firearm. The ball spring plunger 12, 14 can also be used to lock other components in a firearm. For example, a ball spring plunger could also be used to capture a firearm magazine. By utilizing a ball spring capture system in the magazine well and magazine, manual manipulation of a magazine release would not be necessary. The ball spring plunger would retain the magazine in place, and when removal is necessary, no buttons would need to be pressed to remove the magazine. Similar to the above-described embodiments, an operator pulling with enough force to overcome the spring pressure would allow for removal of the magazine from the magazine well.

Therefore, the disclosed systems and methods are well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are inherent therein. The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the teachings of the present disclosure may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be altered, combined, or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope of the present disclosure. The systems and methods illustratively disclosed herein may suitably be practiced in the absence of any element that is not specifically disclosed herein and/or any optional element disclosed herein.

While apparatuses and methods are described in terms of “comprising,” “containing,” or “including” various components or steps, the apparatuses and methods can also “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the various components and steps. All numbers and ranges disclosed above may vary by some amount. Whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed, any number and any included range falling within the range is specifically disclosed. Also, the terms in the claims have their plain, ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the patentee. Moreover, the indefinite articles “a” or “an,” as used in the claims, are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the elements that it introduces. If there is any conflict in the usages of a word or term in this specification and one or more patent or other documents that may be incorporated herein by reference, the definitions that are consistent with this specification should be adopted.

The terms “inward” and “outward” are defined herein relative to the channel defined in the firearm body 20. The term “inward” refers to the position towards/into the channel and the term “outward” refers to the position away from/out of the channel. Moreover, the use of directional terms such as above, below, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, and the like are used in relation to the illustrative embodiments as they are depicted in the figures, the upward or upper direction being toward the top of the corresponding figure and the downward or lower direction being toward the bottom of the corresponding figure.

As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” preceding a series of items, with the terms “and” or “or” to separate any of the items, modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list (i.e., each item). The phrase “at least one of” allows a meaning that includes at least one of any one of the items, and/or at least one of any combination of the items, and/or at least one of each of the items. By way of example, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” each refer to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and/or at least one of each of A, B, and C. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A firearm comprising: a stationary firearm component; a translatable firearm component movably coupled to the stationary firearm component between a locked position and an unlocked position; a relief formed in one of the stationary firearm component and the translatable firearm component; and a plunger comprising a ball and a spring, the plunger being coupled to the other of the stationary firearm component and the translatable firearm component, the ball being biased by the spring and configured to be received in the relief in the locked position and to be disposed outside the relief in the unlocked position.
 2. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the stationary firearm component is a firearm body, and the translatable firearm component is a charging handle.
 3. The firearm of claim 2, wherein the relief is formed in the firearm body, and the plunger is coupled to the charging handle.
 4. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the plunger and the relief constitute a locking mechanism for retaining the translatable firearm component in the locked position, the plunger and the relief being the only locking mechanism provided for retaining the translatable firearm component in the locked position.
 5. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the relief is formed in the stationary firearm component, and the plunger is coupled to the translatable firearm component.
 6. The firearm of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the relief is substantially the same as a diameter of the ball.
 7. A firearm comprising: a firearm body; a charging handle movably coupled to the firearm body between a locked position and an unlocked position; a relief formed in one of the firearm body and the charging handle; and a plunger comprising a ball and a spring, the plunger being coupled to the other of the firearm body and the charging handle, the ball being biased by the spring and configured to be received in the relief in the locked position and to be disposed outside the relief in the unlocked position.
 8. The firearm of claim 7, wherein the plunger and the relief constitute a locking mechanism for retaining the charging handle in the locked position, the plunger and the relief being the only locking mechanism provided for retaining the charging handle in the locked position.
 9. The firearm of claim 7, wherein the relief is formed in the firearm body, and the plunger is coupled to the charging handle.
 10. The firearm of claim 9, wherein the firearm body defines a channel that receives the charging handle, and the ball is slidable along a wall of the channel when the charging handle is unlocked. 